The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-09
A KNOTrY CASE DECIDED.
A REMARKABLE REVELATION OF
IMMORTALITY.
Peculiar Relations Between a De-
graded Man and His Wife
and Her ParamOur.


was concluded before Judge Ham
mond, of the United States CircHit
Court, that presented remarkable
revelation in morals as well as knotty
points OF law. 1t was removed from
jackson, Tenn, to Memphis for con.
venience, and had been on trial for
two days, The following is an
OUTLINE OF THE CASE,
which appears on the docket as Sam
uel f. Hunt We. Jacob Fisher, ad-
ministrator, and others. In 1875 J.
w. Walker and O. B. Young, the
latter a Cincinnati man, were operst-
ing the Browrsport iron furnacs in
Decatur county, Tenn, under the
firm name OF Walker 4 Young. Be-
sides the furnace, the firm poss essed
valuable mining property and a store
and stock Of goods, worth in all about
$4,000, Of which Walker owned
about one-third. The business was
prosperous, and the partners were in
I air way to become very wealthy,
when
A woMAN's FRAILTY
interviewed and started them down the
road to ruin. Mis-. Walker became
infatuated with Young, and he
yielded to the temptation OF her
smiles. Their relations soon became
so open that the husband could not
help detecting them.
And here came in the most curious
feature OF the case. Irstead OF blow
ing the top Of Young's head of with
shotgun, as is the custom Of the coua-
try, he condoned his oflense in bnS,-
ness like way. After a consultation
with the guilty pair, Walker slld out
his one-third Interest ia the property
and business to his wife, with the
stipulation that she was TO settle all
his partnership debts and $4,000 OF
individual debts, and pay him an an
nuity of $1,000 during his life time.
A DIVORCE WAS OBTAINED,
and the woman married the wicked
partner, and they continued the bust
ness. Their management was bad,
and Young went into bankruptcy on
his individual account at Nashville.
During this state OF affairs he per-
suaded his wife to join with the
creditors of the firm in settlement or
composition in bankruptcy, which re.
suited in the appointment OF trustee
who
TOOK POSSESSION OF THE FURNACE
and undertook to manage it and pay
the debls. They first executed
mortgage for $4,000 to raise money,
which was to be a prior lien over all
other creditor. The money was not
paid, and the mortgages sold out the
property in the Federal Court at
Nashville. Prior to this time Walker,
who after the divorce had
BECOME A PAUPRR,
filed bill in the Chsncery Court OF
Dec atur county to force Young and
his wife 10 pay the annuity and the
debts provided for In the contract. A
few months afterward the Bank OF
Tennessee fled bill in the Chsncery
Court at Nashville to enforce the pay
ment OF debt due the bank under
that contract. In this case there was
a decree of sale, and Samuel +. Hunt,
a Cincinnati lawyer, bought the
one third interest which Walker had
transferred to his wife for 800.
WALKER DIED,
and his administrator continued the
litie alton in Decatur county, and pro-
cured decrse of eale. This litigation
was unknown to the ltigants at Nash
vile, and that in Nashville was I'm.
known to the litigants in Decatur
county. Hunt filed bill in the De-
catur ChanceIy Court to enjoin the
sa by the administrator, and got an
injunction aud removed the case to the
Federal Court, where the administra-
tlr fileda cross bill to enforce his
rigt Is under the Decatur decree. The
case therefore presents the following
NOVEL SITUATIONS:
First, there is a contract between
man aud wife, by which he sells out
to her his interest in partnership
and authoriz 8 her to carry on the
partnership; for few months there
was a partnership with a married
woman teen partnership with d.
vorced wife; then partnership with
mans own wife. Then follow bank
ruptcy of the individual partnership;
a carrying on OF the business by trus-
tees 10 bankruptcy; bills to foreoloss;
in ovent bills by adminiat rators; bills
by creditors on their own account,
and general muss and mixing in OF
things.
THE DECISION.
Since the trial of the remarkable
case, Judge Hammond has had the
case under advisement, and handed
down his decision yesterday. 1t de-
crees the property to the administra'
tor aud creditors OF John W. Walker,
and directs a sale to secure the lien OF
the contract made with his wife,
Martha q. Walker, in 1874, and hold
ing that Hunt is not entitled to the
property, on which he only bid 500
Mr.. j. O. Bradford, City Attorney of
Nashville, represented Hunt, and John
A. Pits, Of Jackson, and Sam Hawk
| Il H,,A..a-IAa annnaRnH InE TIM